Brake mechanism



Dec. 1, 1936. R. H.'CASLER BRAKE MECHANISM.

Original Filed Nov. 22, 1932 memes pee. 1, i936 PATENT orrlca BRAKE MECHANISM Roger H. Casler, Pittsburgh, Pa.,

Bendix-Westinghouse Automotive asslgnor to Air Brake Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of applic November 22, 1932.

ation Serial No. 643,902, This application October 24, 1934, SerialNo. 749,831; I

6 Claims. (01. 280-331) The present invention relates to tractor and trailer vehicles, and more particularly to means for coupling and uncoupling said vehicles and the hose lines or other connections therebetween.

5 It has heretofore been proposed, in the art.re-' lating to tractor-trailer vehicle trains, to simplify the coupling operation, and for the most part, the

' structures heretofore provided have effected the coupling operation by backing the tractor onto the trailer, the fifth wheel devices on the two vehicles then looking to effect the connection. However,

if fluid pressure, vacuum or electric brakes are employed on the two vehicles, it has been necessary heretofore for the driver to manually effect a connection between the hose lines or electrical conductors on the two vehicles.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for automatically connecting the hose lines or electrical conduits carried by the tractor and trailer vehicles respectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically connecting the hose lines or electrical conduits on the tractor and trailer vehicles respectively when the two vehicles are brought together for mechanical connection.

A further object is to provide, in connection with vehicle trains including a vehicle of the type employing a trailer sub-frame construction, means for automatically connecting the hose lines or electrical conduits of the vehicles when the trailer sub-frame is moved rearwardly during the coupling operation with the tractor.

A further object is to provide, in connection with a vehicle of the type employing a trailer subframe construction, means for automatically connecting the hose lines of the tractor and trailer vehicles, which automatic connection will be effected at the end of the rearward movement of the trailersub-frarne.

' A still further object is to provide automatically operated connectingmeans for the conduits carried by the tractor and trailer vehicles, which will bev self-aligning in order to provide an exact and ready connection between such conduits.

A still further object is to provide a novel connection element for use in the automatic coupling -of hose lines carried by tractor and trailer vehicles, which elementwill'be so formed as to provide a positive and. constantly open connection between such hose lines.

Other novel features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood, however, that such drawing is for purposes of illustration only and is not to be taken as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for such purpose to the appended claims.

Referring'to the drawing, wherein similar reference numerals refer tolike parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view showing parts of tractor and trailer vehicles in position for connection, and showing elements of the present invention in their inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a view showing parts disclosed in Fig. 1

in their connected and operative positions;

Fig. 3. isv a plan view showing a proposed arrangement of one of the elements .of the coupling;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. and

Fig. 5 is a view showing a modified construc*- tion of elements of the invention disclosed in other figures.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the present invention is disclosed in association-with a tractor vehicle having a frame I adapted; to be connected to a trailer vehicle having a main frame 2. In accordance with the usual construction, the tractor vehicle is proylded with a fifth wheel device 3, the same being of well known design including a body portion 4 and rearwardly extending arms 5 which define a rearwardly opening slot for receiving the trailer-carried king-pin 6. The trailer vehicle construction disclosed in Fig. 1 is of that type which employs a sliding trailer sub-frame I. The sub-frame is preferably supported on the trailer main frame by bolts or pins 8 carried by the subframe and positioned in horizontal slots 9 formed in the trailer main frame at the forward portion thereof, and also by bolts or pins ID on the rear portion of the sub-frame and positioned in arcuate, upwardly-inclined slots l I formed in the trailer main frame 2. The under side of the forward end of the sub-frame is provided with a trailer fifth wheel device, the same carrying at its center the depending king-pin 6 in the usual manner. The rear portion of the sub-frame is provided with downwardly-extending arms l3 carrying the trailer loading wheels apparent from the above described construction that as the tractor fifth wheel device 3 moves rearwardly after engaging the trailer king-pin 6, 5o the trailer sub-frame 1 will be moved rearwardly,

the pins 8 andlll riding respectively in the slots 9 and H, and the disposition of the slot ll causingthe trailer loading wheels [4 to be raised out 9f *cvmactwith the ground.

14. It will be In the event that the tractor and trailer vehicles are both equipped with fluid pressure operated brakes, a connection between the braking system on the tractor and that on the trailer must be made in.order to operate the trailer brakes after the tractor and trailer have been coupled. According to the present invention, the usual fiuid pressure braking system on the trailer main frame is connected by fiexible tubing, not shown, to the pipes II I. carried by the trailer sub-frame. Such pipes |2, |6 may be connected by any suitable means to passages l1, l2 bored longitudinally through the king-pin. On the tractor vehicle, the fluid pressure braking system carried thereby, and including the pipes I2, 20,

may be connected by any suitable means, such as flexible tubing 2| 22, to an air line socket 22,

the same being provided-with passages formed the passages formed in the air line socket 23 must be connected to those formed in the kingpin 4.

Means are provided by the present invention for automatically causing the abutment of the fair line" socket 23 and the. king-pin 6 for connecting the tractor and trailer braking systems, such automatic operation being caused by the relative movement which occurs between the trailer main frame and sub-frame when the tractor and trailer vehicles are being coupled. .Such means comprise a bracket 24 bolted or otherwise secured-to the under sideof the tractor fifth wheel device and having pivotally connected thereto at its lower extremity a bell crank lever 22, the longer arm 22 of which normally extends downwardly and supports the air line" socket 22 by means of elongated slots 26 surrounding pins 2] formed on the exterior of said socket.

The shorter arm 22 of the bell crank lever northe forward end of the tractor fifth wheel device and carries an upwardly extending portion 24,

terminating in an oifset portion 2l..

In order to permit relative turning movement between the tractor and trailer vehicles without affecting the relation between arm 24 and the end of the trailer vehicle 2, the forward end of the trailenvehicle may be. curved rearwardly about a vertical axis or, if desired, said forward end may be provided with a strip, of metalor other material, curved in the same manner, either of these constructions providing an arcuate .surface against which the offset portion 22 is adapted to bear.

In the operation of the above described strutried by the trailer is received in the space or slot defined by the arms 5 of the tractor fifth wheel device. No relative movement betweenthe trailer main frame and the sub-frame will take place until the tractor fifth wheel device has moved back as far as possible relatively to the trailer aocasoc tractor fifth wheel, and trailer sub-frame all move rearwardly, the vertically-extending arm 34 will move therewith until it abuts, at its upper end, the trailer main-frame 2, as disclosed in Fig. 2'. As soon as this occurs, further rearward movement of the extension 34 and rod 3| will cease,

the bracket 22 then sliding over the rod 3| during continued rearward movement of the tractor and tractor fifth wheel device.

During such movement, the tractor, tractor fifth wheel device, and trailer sub-frame will carpoint when the sub-frame is in its most rearward and upward-position, the air line socket will be in alignment with the lower face of the king-pin 6 and will be held firmly against the same by the tension of spring It will be noted that the air line". socket is capable of rotation about its own longitudinal axis due to the provision of the slot and pin connection between .such socket and the arm 28 of the bell crank lever. Such construction is necessary in order to insure alignment of the ports in the socket and those in the king-pin. In order to facilitate and insure such alignment of these ports, the said socket may be constructed as disclosed in Figs, 3 and 4, wherein ports 28, 31 are provided to which the fiexible hose lines 2|, 22, leading to the tractor fluid-pressure braking system, may beconnected. Port 23 extends through the socket and opens, at the upper side thereof, in the center of the socket while port 21 is .con-

nected to an annular recess in the socket which opens on the upper face thereof. With such a construction, and with proper placingof the ports in vthe king-pin, registry of the socket ports and socket are brought together concentrically, the king-pin device 92, as disclosed in Fig. 5, may be provided with a radially and downwardly extending fin 20. As also disclosed in this figure, the socket 22 may be provided with dowhwardly-converging guide members 2|. It will be apparent from this construction that when the socket is brought'upwardly toward the kins-Din device, the guides 9| will abut the fin 22 in the event that the king-pinand socket are not concentrically aligned and, due to the convergence of the guides 2| with respect to the center line of the socket, the two elements will be concentrically brought together as the socket is raised.

sition, a suitable pin or bolt it: may be inserted within suitable openings provided in the arms 2.

While one embodiment of the invention has In order to positively lock the king-pin in po-.

order to insure that the king-pin and "air line been illustrated and described and reference has been made to fluid pressure operated brakes, it

respectively, coupling means. on said tractor in-- cluding a fifth wheel device, coupling means on' said trailer including a king-pin device, means pivotally mounted on said fifth wheel device and connected to said tractor-carried conduits,' and means operable during relative longitudinal movement between said tractor and trailer vehicles during the coupling thereof for moving said fifth wheel carried means about its pivotal mounting into engagement with said kin -pin device for connecting said tractor and trailer-carried conduits.

2. In combination, a tractor vehicle, a trailer vehicle, fluid conduits on said tractor and trailer respectively, coupling means on .said tractor including a fifth wheel device, means pivotally mounted on said fifth wheel device and connect t ed to said tractor-carried conduits, means slidably mounted on said fifth wheel device and connected to said pivotally mounted means, coupling means on said trailer including a king-pin device connected to said trailer carried conduits, and

means carried by said slidably-mounted means for engagement by said trailer vehicle during cou-v pling of said tractor and trailer vehicles.

3. In combination, a tractor vehicle having a fluid conduit, a trailer vehicle having a fluid conduit, coupling means for connecting the vehicles including a king pin device on the trailer, means for connecting said device to the trailer conduit,

and connecting means for the conduits to estab; lish communication therebetween, including said ,king pin device on the trailer vehicle, a part pivotally mounted on the tractor vehicle, and a device carried by one of said vehicles operable by relative movement of the two vehicles to ylelding- 1y move said part about its pivotal mounting into engagement with the said king pin device.

= 4. In combination. a tractor vehicle having a fluid conduit, 9. trailer vehicle having a fluid conduit, coupling means for connecting the vehicles including a kingpin device on the trailer, means for connecting said device to the trailer conduit, and connecting means for the conduits to establish communication therebetween, including said king pin deviceon the trailer vehicle, a part pivotally mounted on the tractor vehicle, and a device carried by one of said vehicles operable incident to coupling action of the coupling means to yieldingly move said part about its pivotal mounting into engagement with the king pin de- ,vice, and comprising a spring member the aforesaid yielding action of which is caused by movement of one vehicle during relative movement of the two vehicles when being coupled together.

5. In combination, a tractor having a-fluid con- 'duit, a. trailer having a fluid conduit, fifth wheel coupling means intermediate said' tractor and trailer including a king pin on the trailer and a fifth wheel device on the tractor toreceive said king pin when the tractor and trailer are coupled together, and connecting. means for the fluid conduits aforesaid comprising nozzle and socket parts associated with the respective king pin and fifth wheel members aforesaidand including actuating parts operable. as the king pin member assumes its coupled position with. respect to the fifth wheel'member for inter-engaging said nozzle and socket parts, and including also a ,'yielding member cooperating with one of the nozzle and socket parts to hold these parts together,

the yielding effective action of said yielding member being increased by coupling cooperation between the trailer and tractor as said coupling cooperation .takes place.

6. In combination, a tractor vehicle, a trailer vehicle, fluid conduits on said tractor and trailer respectively, coupling means on said tractor in-- cluding a fifth wheel device, couplingmeans on said trailer including a king pin device, means pivotally mounted on said tractor and connected to said tractor-carried conduits, and means operable during relative longitudinal movement between said tractor and trailer vehicles during the coupling thereof for yieldably moving said tractor-carried means about its pivotal mounting into engagement with said king pin device forconnecting said tractor and trailer-carried conduits.

' mm 11. cm.- 

